MOD 16 - Surface changes to support the Underground Development

The MOD 16 proposal has a low impact on the surrounding environment due to remaining within the already disturbed footprint and holds many positive benefits to the community and region as a whole. Evolution support local business and other regional areas which benefits all within these communities and employees a high number of staff which gives people an opportunity to have job security and experience within the industry.

I fully support the development of the Cowal Underground mine. The creation of new jobs within regional NSW is wonderful, especially in the field of underground hard rock mining. The limited impact on the surrounding environment, and Evolution's high standards for protecting the environment are to be commended.
The fact that there is no change to overall the surface footprint of the operation is great. The changes within the existing footprint are minimal and plans to manage visual aspects on the periphery are good.

I am a current employee of Evolution mining and reside in the Lake Cowal area. I believe the UG development is an important project for the area; the increased mine life will guarantee a large number of people long-term employment well into the future. The mine is a significant employer in the region and this project will guarantee it can remain so.

Its great to see an established organization such as Evolution continue to make commitments to it local community by trying to diversify its operation and extend its life of operation. This site was originally due to close about now, its great to see it is currently approved to operate to 2032 and its even better to see that it is requesting an extension to its life of operation.

Mines like this provide me with professional growth opportunities, it allows me to raise my children in a regional community where we can be a part of the community.

I moved from Brisbane to central West NSW and its the best decision that we have made as a family. I support Evolution, I support Regional Development and I support this development.

This project will be fantastic for the future of West Wyalong, Cowal and Evolution. It will provide significant economic and job opportunities for the local community.

Good afternoon
DPI Agriculture has no comment in relation to this proposal.
Thank you

Mary

BCD advice attached

Crown Lands has the following comments for this proposal:-
- Recommended that Evolution Mining (Cowal) Pty Ltd make application for Landowners consent to Crown Lands for any works on Crown land due to the significant modifications to DA 14/98-Mod-16 (underground mine and ancillary surface provisions) lodged with the Bland Shire Council.

For mining operations involving Crown land or Crown roads, the following requirements apply:
- All Crown land and Crown roads within a Mining Lease (with surface rights), subject to mining or mining related activity, must be subject to a Compensation Agreement issued under Section 265 of the Mining Act 1992, to be agreed and executed prior to any mining activity taking place. The Compensation Agreement may include conditions requiring the Mining Lease Holder to purchase Crown land impacted on by mining activity.
- All Crown land and Crown roads located within an Exploration Licence, subject to exploration activity, must be subject to an Access Arrangement issued under Section 141 of the Mining Act 1992, to be agreed and executed prior to any exploration activity taking place.
- All Crown land and Crown roads within a Mining Lease (with sub-surface rights only) must be subject to a Section 81 Consent under the Mining Act 1992 where surface activities are proposed, to be agreed and executed prior to any surface activity taking place.

Please see attached advice. Thanks

Objection to the Increased Use of Groundwater and Irrigation water in the following Project and Application

Cowal Gold Operations, Evolution Mining (Cowal) Pty Limited SSD 10367
Modification 16 - Surface changes to support the Underground Development
Ancillary surface changes associated with the proposed Underground Development (SSD 10367)

Application Number
DA14/98-Mod-16
Assessment Type
SSD Modifications
Development Type
Minerals Mining
Local Government Areas
Bland Shire

This Application includes an Increase in the actual water used per annum.

At this time it is not possible to predict the state of Ground Water for extraction by the ten bores and the state of Irrigation Water from the Jemalong Irrigation Channel nor the state of water in the Lachlan Valley as a whole for the time periods requested.

The water in the Lachlan Valley is considerably over allocated. The Wyangala Dam has not been able to carry the valley through this three year drought, due to the pressure on it to keep the river flowing. The dam depleted more quickly than in previous longer droughts. There were reduced inflows to the river from groundwater along its length.

There is currently an Inquiry into water in the Lachlan Valley, the Lachlan Regional Water Strategy, being done by the NSW Government, as a part of the review of the Murray Darling Basin for the Australian Government.
I suggest that Approval of this Application by Evolution Mining be postponed until after the Lachlan Strategy is completed and appropriate decisions made regarding it.

I suggest that Evolution Mining be asked to restructure their plans so that there is no increase in water taken from bores and the Irrigation Channel, and preferably so that less is taken. This could be done by postponing the commencement of the extraction of ore from the underground mine.

Evolution say that they have a higher approved rate of water use but this does not take into account the needs of other water users in the valley. If everyone used their full allocation it would be an even greater disaster than this drought has been. The Consultant Coffey in the Application only considers the needs of 2 near farming neighbours. If the ground water is not extracted it will flow down to the Lachlan, having some of the salinity filtered along the way.

This is at a time when the Lachlan Valley is experiencing drought years with future uncertainty, and when the MDBA has placed a cap on water use in the MDB which includes the Lachlan River.

The historical meteorological records and the paleo geological records show that there have been much longer droughts in the past and that they are likely to occur again now and in the future. The conditions prevailing from 2032 to 2040 can not yet be predicted.

Current water use by CGO is stated as approximately 7,430 ML of process water, plus more water for dust settling, laboratory work and human activities. It is projected to also use water in the production of reinforcing paste for the underground mine, and in rehabilitation works.
The water comes from on site seepage, bores, rainwater and from the Jemalong Irrigation Channel. They state that they recycle approximately 50%.

The Application states on pages 105 and 108, 6.5.3 & 6.5.5
“ Recovery of the ESB and BCPB “( 6 bores )” is predicted at around 166 m AHD “( Australian Height Datum )“ in ten years (about 30 m below 1998 water levels), and will continue to gradually recover over time subject to the amount of ongoing abstraction from private bores after CGO closes and the prevailing climate. It is possible that it will take significant periods of time for water levels to recover to levels seen in the late 1990s (prior to the drought and onset of extensive pumping) due to the low rate of recharge and continuing pumping for irrigation. “

It is quite usual for the smaller gold mines in this section of the Lachlan Valley to be reopened and the tailings and waste rock reprocessed to extract copper lead silver and the rare elements such as lithium. If manganese is being found in quantity that may be targeted also.
As Evolution Mining is measuring and monitoring the concentrations of these, and processing some for sale according to market demands, it looks as if they are also readying the mine for resale to a new miner who specialises in mining these elements.
So it cannot be assumed that the water table will return to normal some time after 2050.

To approve this Application would be condemning the farmers, people, towns and environment of the Lower Lachlan to extreme droughts with reduced access to groundwater and creek and river water until well past 2050.

Coffey does not give sufficient attention to the differing contexts of the neighbouring farms and the mine’s way of using of water. The farms use water only in particular seasons and years, and the mine uses water 24/7/360. The total ML per annum for each would be more useful for comparisons.
Coffey does not at all consider the effects of the CGO’s use of groundwater, from inflows ( seepage ) and from bores, on the region and on the creeks and the Lachlan River, and on the other users of the Jemalong Irrigation Channel.
All Lachlan users from Jemalong downriver, particularly the Lower Lachlan users, will lose some water to CGO, and to the major mines upriver. The environment also loses.
There is no consideration of the downriver effects on Lachlan River flow levels. The groundwater from CGO borefields flows to the Lachlan unless extracted. Likewise the inflows to the mine.

Particularly during droughts the water supply to the Lower Lachlan users will be decreased by an increased groundwater extraction rate by CGO.

There are several major mines drawing groundwater in the Lachlan Valley, both by inflows and bores, and their effects on the water table and the Lachlan River are cumulative. Obviously the groundwater flows to the Lachlan River at a lower height AHD as the Lachlan Valley does not have an Artesian Basin.

Coffey does not give regional relative usage rates per annum and volumes available, to allow the magnitude of CGO’s effect on other users to be seen, and for the other major miners’ cumulative effect to be seen.

Also there is absolutely no respect for and no mention of the MDBA cap on water use, with both the MDBA and the NSW government saying there should be no increases in water use in the MDB.

During this three year drought farmers have been trucking hay from Victoria and South Australia with great expenses. In previous years it could be grown in the Lachlan Valley on the irrigated farms during droughts.
It is the usual habit of farmers to cut and store hay and silage in normal years and then in dry years particularly to irrigate to provide hay, silage and pastures to carry on.
In this three year drought without the stored Wyangala Dam water to carry them through the farmers have suffered much hardship and there have been great costs to them and to the NSW Government and the Australian Government. There has been a great loss of breeding stock which will reduce their ability to operate for years to come, and loss of their innovations in breeding.

The large scale mining is already at a level which has harmed other users.

Increases in water use by miners and the works which require the increase should not be approved.

The towns are suffering with the lack of river water, and with water restrictions and the loss of gardens and garden festivals. Gardens are a long term local cultural activity.

The CGO Application to increase it’s production and significantly increase actual water use is a totally arrogant disregard for other water users outside their immediate area and should not be approved.

Comment :
Appendix L - Rehabilitation
3.3.3 Domain 3C – Infrastructure Areas Contained Water Storages

The suggested transfer of the Dams to a local farmer after mine closure sounds risky.

The dams would need significant remediation before they could safely be used for agriculture and stock watering.

Rainfall is collected in the dams on site or channelled around the site. Some dams are also used for process water. The dams would contain unsafe levels of the dust elements usually found with gold.

After the mine’s operations have ceased, and clean topsoils have been put in place about the site, the dams would need to have their water pumped out and the dams be relined with clean clay.

The dams would contain toxic concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, selenium and zinc etc in their water and in the lining silt, accumulated from the site dust during operations.

The expansion of the Lake Cowal Gold Mine will bring economic security to the Bland Shire. Council has established an excellent working relationship with the mine management as well as with the CEO and Board of Evolution Mining. This partnership has resulted in many successful outcomes for our community and we can say with all honesty that Evolution Ming is an excellent corporate citizen. Council is also aware of the excellent reputation the Mining Company has when it comes to environmental responsibility and we have no doubt that the proposed extension will meet all of the stringent environmental requirements. On behalf of Bland Shire Council, and with the full endorsement of all councillors, I offer our strongest support possible for this major development.

See attached

See attachment

MEG advice attached DA14_98 Mod 16

Dear Philip,
Thank you for the extension to allow Heritage NSW to provide Aboriginal cultural heritage comments on the modification report.
Regards,
Jackie
Senior Team Leader, Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Regulation - South

Refer to response letter attached previously

See attached

See attached letter.

See attached

Attached.